


Honey Whiskey

by angrytrollnoises



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Flirting, Gun Violence, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Period-Typical Homophobia, Slow Burn, Time Travelling Karl Jacobs, Wild West AU, cowboy sapnap fuck yeah!!!!, dream smp au, hell yeah, i guess??, karl jacobs pov, karlnap, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:14:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29077692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angrytrollnoises/pseuds/angrytrollnoises
Summary: Karl Jacobs is a curious time traveler with nothing better to do then... well travel through time. However when he finds himself in a rural town in the middle of the wild west; with a nasty sheriff and a flirty cowboy, what will he get himself into?
Relationships: Karl Jacobs/Sapnap
Comments: 20
Kudos: 135





	Honey Whiskey

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! So like,,, yeah looks like it's time for me to finally invest in writing something for the long run... I'll be adding more tags and changing around the rating as time goes on. I don't have any set time to post another chapter so if you like this one duggie hype me up and I'll try to get y'all another one ;]] Anyway I really hope you enjoy the first chapter of Honey Whiskey!!

Bright rays of sunlight stretched across the grass as the sun hung low in the sky, waving with flashes of green and orange as the breeze jostled the grass around in every direction. Karl leaned against dark wood of what felt like an older building; dust and dirt catching under his fingernails and he screwed up his nose a bit. His head was spinning from his sudden venture, unlimited time even now still dancing behind his eyelids before he slowly blinked them open, the aforementioned sunlight flooding into his sight with a new vigor. Though he’d left his year with the same hour on the clock, the atmospherics of it all felt different and he huffed. He straightened himself up, smoothing out his multicoloured coat under shaking hands and pulled the collar up upon himself in a better fit. Karl pocketed his watch, spinning around the side of the building with too much energy for someone who just had vertigo, before beginning to pad towards a street that seemed to be this town’s main.

Times like these never seemed to concern Karl even for a second. Seemingly the boy was very obviously out of place in a time like this but, did he ever seem to care? No, of course not. He was always too busy taking everything in, admiring every detail of things he’d only ever previously seen in textbooks and on the internet. How long for them till they get the internet from now? A stupid thought really, obviously it was a long ass time. 

Karl scuffed dirt under his sneakers as he spun around, looking out over the mostly empty town square save for a horse tied up on a post outside what seemed to be a bar. As soon as his body found itself facing another direction however, he ran straight into a kid, one not much younger than him but a kid nonetheless. He was shorter than Karl by a few inches maybe, hair much darker than his own and he was wearing a green button up with a red bandana tied around his throat. He looked up at Karl with bright eyes, wide and they would’ve almost caught him in a contest if he wasn’t so sure of himself. 

“Oh, hello.” The kid spoke up, an accent heavy on his tongue and Karl gave a chuckle at it. But he was sure he’d traveled into early America… He supposed it was maybe common for the time.

“Hey!” Karl chortled in return, a smile plastered on his face, one very usual for his demeanor and he held out his hand.

The boy glanced down at it with question behind his big eyes and Karl felt a bead of sweat down his back at the awkward tension.

“Right… uhm- I’m Karl.” He added soon after, pleadingly looking around for any sign of another human being before his eyes fell back.

“Oh! My name’s Tubbo.” Tubbo responded with a smile suddenly splitting his features and Karl felt warmed at that. He wasn’t completely throwing off every vibe in this town tonight yet. At least this kid didn’t think so. Karl let out a soft breath, flashing a toothy smile in return as he dropped his hand finally. Why had he even been holding it out for so long?

“Well, it’s great to meet you Tubbo… Are you alone out here?” He had finally caught that the bar was very much occupied, the previous one that the horse sat outside of; so he decided he’d have to make sure to drop in. Tubbo looked around, his brow furrowing a bit before shaking his head lightly.

“No, no. My friend’s out here with me… Tommy’s his name.” He tacked on the name last minute, his head whipping around as if he’d lost this other person. “We were just looking for good sticks to tussle with. I reckon he’s gone off a bit… I should go find him…” Tubbo looked back to Karl with slight uncertainty before nodding at him with a newfound urgency behind it. “It was nice to meet you… Karl… Goodnight.” And with that Tubbo ran past him with a childlike quickness Karl wished he still had in him.

“Right okay.” He muttered to himself, blinking as he began his walk towards the bar. Or he guessed _saloon _as they’d call it. He wasn’t much of a drinker, however he felt like he wouldn’t mind one right about now.__

__The sun had climbed lower in the slowly setting sky, long shadows of trees and establishments extending over the eroded paths as Karl reached the saloon doors. He took a deep breath before swinging open the flaps and stepping in; music he’d previously heard outside now flooded his ears with a newfangled robustness and the scent of musk and beer hung heavy in his nose._ _

__It was dark and dank, sounds of chatter shrouded the empty space as he maneuvered into the crowds of tables, chairs scraping the floor, and mugs clinking in cheers. Karl found himself at the bar, after weird stares and awkward eye contact, seated in a stool that made his ass feel like it didn’t belong. Perhaps it was the years of wear and tear from previous tenders that sat in this stool like it was their personal couch at home._ _

__A ladder of a man that had previously been talking to a young woman at the far end of the bar stepped over to him, looking him over with a spot of interest and flashing a warm smile that was contagious to Karl in every respect of the word._ _

__“Hey, what can I get you set up with tonight?” The keep asked, another accent heavy on this man’s tongue and Karl started to wonder if he’d dropped himself in the UK by mistake somehow._ _

__“Uh-” Karl stared back at him with a dumbfounded expression, probably seeming like he’d never ordered a drink before in his life. “Oh, uhm- I guess a beer?”_ _

__The man nodded with a chuckle low in his throat and Karl felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him, mentally cursing himself for ordering a damn _beer _. He personally hated the stuff, always thinking it tasted like bread and straight piss. He watched as the bartender turned away, throwing together a mug of beer just like Karl had heard multiple drunkards clanking together earlier. His eyes fell over the bar patrons as he waited, multiple groups of happy drunk people swaying along to music and conversations that Karl had to drown out simply to be able to think on his own.___ _

____The sound of the mug being set down on the hardwood brought his attention back, Karl beamed back in thanks, bringing it up to his lips to take a small sip which instantly caused his face to screw up in disgust. Yeah, he definitely regretted that decision, and he now had to remind himself that beer from these ages tasted even worse like piss… He’d have to write it down or something._ _ _ _

____Just when his mind seemed to be getting completely sidetracked though, there was a commotion coming from the front of the alehouse that caught him off guard. (He’d definitely forget about how much the beer tasted like piss later.) It seemed however in this moment that three people had entered, a group that brought about mixed emotions from the current occupants in hushed whispers and loud cheers._ _ _ _

____All three of them adorned only what Karl would classify as cowboy hats, in fact they all looked like typical cowboys to him. See this is what he’d actually come here for; wild west shenanigans. He let out a short hum, turning back to stare down into his drink with an itch to speak to at least one of them about what they did on a regular basis but, he wouldn’t get in the middle of this mess, no._ _ _ _

____“Well you’ve barely touched your drink, darlin’.” Karl nearly jumped out of his skin, his head whipping around in a way that threatened to give him a new wave of vertigo. Right over his shoulder stood the source of his fright, one of the aforementioned _cowboys _; a man with dark hair and amber eyes, plus a smirk that made Karl absolutely freeze in his tracks. It took him a few minutes to realize that he’d been talking to Karl and he glanced from the man’s face to his drink and back.___ _ _ _

______“Oh, I’m just not that into beer… ya’ know, it tastes like horse piss and shit.” Karl stumbled over himself like a deer caught in the headlights, flashing a wobbly smile in his direction. The man huffed out a laugh, rubbing at the stubble along his chin before glancing at the barkeep that had previously made Karl’s beer._ _ _ _ _ _

______“‘Ey, Wilbur! Get my man here a whiskey.” Karl wanted to protest as he knew he’d choke over the taste of something like whiskey but, at the same time he was so entranced by the way this guy hung over him with one hand on the bar that he just couldn’t even speak up._ _ _ _ _ _

______Though in the same moments that he was admiring tan skin and dark eyes, he was then being handed a whiskey and the man slipped into the seat beside him._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’ve never seen you ‘round here before. You from out of town?” The man seemed to look Karl up and down like he was an alien from outer space and if they only knew what he was packing they might really think it. But, something also glinted in his eyes that made Karl squirm under his gaze in such a way that he was immensely flustered._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Something like that.” He responded over the lip of his glass, sipping down the whiskey between words and it went down with a warm burn that Karl tried not to splutter at._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Well, wherever you’re from, you’re here now. The name’s Sapnap by the way. And you?” Sapnap’s drawl was heavy, everything Karl had expected from people of this era and if he was being honest it was doing wonders for him._ _ _ _ _ _

______“My name’s Karl... “ He retorted with a short clink of his glass on the counter and he turned his head to meet Sapnap’s gaze head on. Their eyes met instantly like two magnets being pulled towards each other and it was honey and lavender, sinking deep into a sticky abyss that swallowed Karl whole. Sapnap was still close to him, leaning slightly over the space that sat between their chairs and for some unknown reason to Karl at the moment he didn’t mind. He was slowly being dragged in to the other man, pushed and pulled like waves on the shore and he was feeling his body rock with that logic. Or maybe it was the alcohol. He wasn’t sure but, he knew he didn’t want it to stop anytime soon._ _ _ _ _ _

______“It’s a pleasure to meet ya’ Karl. I couldn’t help but notice you from across the room, what with this _interesting _getup you got on.” Sapnap peered down over his body again and it was almost too slow for Karl not to feel something stir up inside him. He swallowed thickly, the taste of whiskey heavy on his tongue as he blinked down at his glass then gave a curt smile.___ _ _ _ _ _

________“I just like brighter colors. Nothing crazy.” He murmured, even though he knew that to every other person in this room he looked quite a bit more distinguished amongst the others. Sapnap audibly snickered, a flash of bright white amongst heavy tan and Karl had to look away if not to lose himself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Well, even with the outlandish bullshit you got on, it does suit ya’ nice.” Sapnap shot a wink in Karl’s direction, heat instantly creeping up Karl’s neck and over his cheeks and ears. He let out a huff of a laugh, trying to hide his blush as his slender fingers tapped at the side of his cup; the ring adorning his finger gave a subtle clink upon each one._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Inside he knew this was dangerous, he shouldn’t be talking too long with anyone, he never stayed in a place- never stayed in a _time _\- long enough to make any connections and this couldn’t be any different. He jumped amongst many constructs of eras on a daily basis, always going from one place to the next, always hiding and never making relationships with people. Especially not people from a whole different time from him. It just wasn’t practical. Nor could he even remember them half the time.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I should probably go- It’s getting late.” Karl decided that he should stop this now, before it was too late. While he practically knew what was best for him, his mind and heart never seemed to be in tandem; one always a half beat off from the other. And he knew this time couldn’t be any different. He’d accidentally get swept off his feet and then he’d be stuck, stuck in a loop that he couldn’t get himself out of. It was complicated to say the least._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Sapnap looked up at him with clear disappointment in his eyes as Karl stood from his seat, his brow furrowing deeply with confusion._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“So soon? And for what, it’s just past sundown.” Sapnap pointedly exclaimed, the dissatisfaction in his eyes just as clear in his words. “Lemme’ at least buy you another whiskey.” Karl instantaneously shook his head at that, an apologetic smile dancing on his lips._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’m okay, I have somewhere I gotta’ be anyway.” It genuinely broke his heart the way Sapnap’s puppy dog eyes followed him as he made his way back through the bar patrons. He didn’t want to take another glance back, in hopes that he wouldn’t be easily swayed to turn around and have a couple more drinks. He wasn’t a drinker, remember?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Though as he made it up to the doors, they swung open with the welcome of a couple new additions to the already packed saloon._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________A tall man with facial hair like nothing Karl had ever seen before and a guy about his own height stepped inside. This seemed to cause the whole bar to fall to an uneasy silence, all conversing and music came to a halt in an eerie wave that made Karl shiver._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________If the quiet wasn’t enough to make Karl piss himself however, the way the taller man turned his attention straight to him was more than. His eyes were narrow, a sneer on his face and a badge sat upon his right breast. As he stepped closer Karl got a better look- a sheriff. The man had drawn himself towards Karl in a menacing tower and he looked him up and down a couple times before looking out over the crowd, and seamlessly back again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Anyone know this guy? Like… what the fuck are you wearing? And why the fuck are you in my town?” To show emphasis on his point, he grabbed the collar of Karl’s jacket and jostled it to the side, then continued to stick his pointer finger into Karl’s chest roughly. If this man’s appearance wasn’t enough to throw Karl off though, his attitude was about a thousand times worse._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Karl wanted to open his mouth, he really did but, he was frozen in his tracks. He couldn’t move and opening his mouth seemed like the worst plan possible at the moment. This man was much larger than him, and not to mention guns were totally a thing these men just carried around casually._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Though by some stupid stroke of luck, there was suddenly a body between him and the sheriff. Unfortunately, a man that he’d just been trying to escape from but, something nonetheless. Karl shamelessly coward behind Sapnap, glancing around him only slightly to see the other man._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Knock it off, Schlatt. He’s not hurtin’ nobody.” Sapnap spoke up like it was his duty, his hand coming up to his belt in a stance that Karl wouldn’t even deny wasn’t a little domineering. “Just ‘cause he’s wearing some funky ass clothes doesn’t mean he’s some freak of nature.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________A small swell of warmth flooded Karl’s chest, a smile tugging at his lips and he took another glance at Schlatt who seemed to be having quite the opposite reaction to the standoff._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Ha! You got some nerve walkin’ up in here and talking to me that way, boy. Especially to protect some little fairy like him.” Schlatt’s grin was coy, menacing, one that made you feel like you were reading about a supervillain in a comic book. But this was real life, or atleast for everyone else it was, and Karl was outright apprehensive._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The last few words seemed to set something off in Sapnap, his fist clenching around his belt and his shoulders stiffening. Karl swallowed down an ever growing lump in his throat, one that threatened to choke him every time he gulped, his heart thrumming low in his chest as he watched Sapnap take a step closer._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“If you don’t shut your goddamn mouth Schlatt, I’ll do it for you.” Sapnap slipped his pistol from his belt like he’d perfected it with practice, holding it up in a threatening manner that made Karl’s eyes go wide. Sure, he’d seen a few guns, watched a war or two but, a civilian pulling a gun on a sheriff? For Karl himself nonetheless? This one was the first in his books._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The look that came across Schlatt’s face wasn’t one of fear, rather it was a cocky smirk that adorned his features all too well. Karl felt uneasy by the expression, intaking a shaky breath through parted lips as he glanced around. No one really moved to help or aide, staying back with tense looks and hushed whispers. This was probably the norm to them, a shoot out in the middle of what once seemed to be a good time amongst many._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Schlatt didn’t even hesitate, brows furrowed as he laughed into the air and pulled out his own handheld._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You think this a fucking joke, Sapnap? Do you see this shit Quackity?” Schlatt turned towards the man that accompanied him, Quackity flashing a smug snicker of his own. The two looked like they did this often, harassing people for no other reason but to bully and soaking every last drop of conflict up into themselves._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Karl wanted to get of here, knowing he’d caused too much trouble already; he’d have to sneak off and break out his book on his own, but how he was going to get away from all these people he wasn’t sure. He might have to take things into his own hands before shit got too real and guns started blazing. Quivering fingers reached up to grab at the back of Sapnap’s shirt, the taller man suddenly looking over his shoulder with a staggered look but didn’t lower his gun for a second. One move and it could be fatal, everyone knew that and Karl swallowed so hard it burned the back of his throat. His head cocked rapidly in a means to tell Sapnap that they should run and the other winced uneasily before turning his attention back to Schlatt._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The next few moves could’ve cost them their lives but, without any sliver of hesitation Sapnap sheathed his gun, grabbed Karl’s hand and made a break for it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Sounds of a chase grew behind them not even seconds later, cheers and howls coming from inside the saloon, and Karl just tried to keep up. Sapnap was definitely the faster of the two, though the tight feel of his large hand gripping Karl’s pushed him to keep up and onward into the night. It was beyond dark outside, the sun having gone down ages ago and Karl was flying blind with only the other man to lead him; not that he’d even know where to go in the first place._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Karl attempted to take a glance over his shoulder, the not too far off flicker of lights showing that they were definitely on the two’s trail. In his strive to find out how much they were ahead he almost tripped, a small keen leaving his throat and he was struggling to breath by this point. He wasn’t much of a runner, nor was he great with any physical activities, and this was the most he’d run in quite awhile. He tried to keep himself up, squeezing Sapnap’s hand out of pure obligation and took deep breaths._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________After a few more heartbeats of uncomfortable chase, Karl looked up just in time to see that a few had run around and planned to cut them off._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Fuck.” Sapnap huffed under his breath, stopping in his tracks with only the buzzed sound of heavy breathing and far off chants in the dark night. “Here.” He panted, before gripping Karl’s bicep in a death grip and pulling him between some buildings; a small space between two that in current days they’d probably call an alley._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________It was a small fit but it was well hidden and Karl couldn’t complain. He was sandwiched between a wall and Sapnap, heaving chest inches from his face and he gripped at the bricks behind him with blunt fingernails to find anyway to ground himself. Karl’s head was pounding, blood rushing through his veins as he struggled to keep his breathing quiet. Sapnap himself was heaving breaths, one hand propped above Karl’s head and his eyes fluttered closed as he seemed to try and steady himself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Karl was pulled from his traveling thoughts as he heard angry strangers grow closer, soft light from a far off fire illuminating them just enough to let Karl see Sapnap’s reddened face and lidded eyes staring down at him. He met the ladder’s gaze with a dangerous ferocity, intaking a shaky breath as a voice grew way too close for comfort._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh, Sapnap! Just come out, buddy. Bring your little _friend _with ya’. I just wanna’ talk.” Schlatt’s voice grew louder as he came closer, but in the same seconds Karl felt immense fear, the voice was gone and the sheriff seemed to pass without even a hint at where they’d stowed themselves away.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________It was a few more seconds before Karl even considered letting out the breath he was holding, his head falling back against the wall and he closed his eyes simply out of pure exhaustion._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Holy shit… that was fucking terrifying-” Karl managed to get out, blinking open unfocused eyes before they caught on to Sapnap again in the shallow dark._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“You’re telling me. That Schlatt guy is a piece of fucking work.” Sapnap retorted harshly, his voice ragged and Karl tried not to think too much about it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I thought we were goners for sure.” Karl confessed melodramatically, giving a nervous chuckle as he reached up to run a still trembling hand through his tousled hair._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Pfft, yeah right. I could take Schlatt on easily.” Sapnap’s empty confidence was enough to make Karl smile, the weight of everything slowly starting to lift off his tired bones but he was still not convinced they would get off that easy._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________And of course they weren’t. A precipitous noise came from a few feet down the aisle, footsteps rocketing off the walls and into Karl’s head painfully. He grabbed out for Sapnap’s shirt, a vice grip on the cloth as the steps seemed to draw slowly closer._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Take a step back!” Sapnap called down the aisle, his own hand coming to his belt as if he was an animal and this was his natural response to all dangers._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Will you guys calm down? Like Jesus Christ, you act like you were just in a run for your life.” A voice came from inside the darkness, before a familiar figure slowly withdrew himself out from the shadows._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked don't be afraid to comment or leave kudos! It's all super sweet and helpful!!  
> Also if you want to get in touch with me for any reason you can follow me on twitter: @angrytrollnoise


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